There may be some who don’t recall what the Dewey Decimal System is. (It’s a system used by libraries to categorize books to make them easy to find.) It may be a little outdated now because of the ease of doing internet searches, but nonetheless remains an excellent organizational tool for information.

MasterFormat is a widely accepted standard for organizing specifications, order of building, pricing and other data for all types building projects that are undertaken in the US and Canada. This standard was developed by the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and Construction Specifications in Canada. It is now being widely used in the construction industry as a “standard formatting document” for construction specifications and pricing and General Contracts..

Standard Construction Formatting Divisions Post-2004 – Also known as a “Schedule of Values”

Division 01 — General Requirements
Division 02 — Existing Conditions (natural conditions)
Division 03 — Concrete (footing)
Division 04 — Masonry (concrete block/brick)
Division 05 — Metals (beams)
Division 06 — Wood, Plastics, and Composites (framing)
Division 07 — Thermal and Moisture Protection (insulation water barrier)
Division 08 — Openings (doorways/windows)
Division 09 — Finishes
Division 10 — Specialties
Division 11 — Equipment
Division 12 — Furnishings
Division 13 — Special Construction
Division 14 — Conveying Equipment
Division 15 – Mechanical (Plumbing – HVAC)
Division 16 – Electrical

The master format is an indexing system for organizing construction data much like the Dewey Decimal System is for books. It standardizes the language and organization for building specifications. When catalogs come out for industry workers (such as architects) this is how the content is organized.

Architects, Engineers, General Contractors and Project Managers use this to specify the methods and order the materials they will use to complete their building projects.

The fact that construction materials even need an organizational system indicates how diverse the substances are that go into creating our structures.

About DPT. Inc. Contractors

DPT, Inc, has extensive experience building and remodeling for most types of LA construction projects. We design, manage and administer the construction process from inception to completion while working closely with building owners, property managers and tenants. Contact us at www.dptconstructionca.com.